VULTUR. 



CiNERBOs, the Brown-blackifli Vulture. With wing 

 and tail-feathers verging towards cinereous, and legs covered 

 with brown feathers. This is referred by Shaw to the V. 

 monachus. It is the V. cinereus of Ray ; the cinereous or 

 alh-coloured V. of Willughby and Latham. It inhabits 

 high mountains of Europe. Gmehn fuggefts it to be a va- 

 riety of percnopterus. 



Fuscus, the Brown Vulture. With wring-feathers brown 

 or bladciHi, the primary wliite at the apex fpotted with 

 brown, and tail-feathers grey -brown, and naked legs. This 

 is the vautour de Malta of Buifon, and found in Europe, 

 chiefly in the ifland of Malta. Gmehn queilions whether it 

 be different from the percnopterus ? 



Niger, Black Vulture. With wing and tail-feathers 

 brown, and legs covered with black feathers. This is de- 

 fcribed as larger than the golden vulture, of a black colour, 

 and is faid to be common in Egypt and Sardinia. Gmelin 

 fuggefts that it is a variety of percnopterus, and Dr. Shaw 

 alfo inclines to think that it is a variety. 



Leucocephalux, Vulture. With fnowy feathers, wing 

 and tail black, with a white ruff. This is the white or ci- 

 nereous vulture of Willughby, and the vautour de Norvege 

 of BufFon ; found in Sardinia and Norway ; and fuggefled 

 to be a variety. 



FuLVus, Vulture. From grey to reddilh above, head, 

 neck, and ruff white, wing and tail-feathers black ; or fulvous- 

 chefnut vulture, with black wing and tail-feathers, downy 

 whitifh head and neck, and white ruff. This is the V. 

 fulvus of Briffon, the fulvous V. and golden V. of Wil- 

 lughby, and le griffon of Buffon. This is one of the 

 Sargeil of the genus, exceeding the iize of the golden eagle. 

 The general colour of the plumage, when the bird is in its 

 bell (late, is a full rufous or tawny chefnut ; the legs and 

 feet are afh-coloured. This bird, often confounded with 

 others, is found in the mountains of Perfia. 



Percnopterus, Vulture. With black wing-feather-, 

 the exterior margin, that of the outmoft excepted, greyifii 

 or hoary ; or white V. (the female brownifh) with length- 

 ened narrow beak, naked face, and black wing-feathers with 

 grey edges. This is the V. (percnopterus) with naked head 

 and plump throat, or Egyptian mountain-falcon of Haffel- 

 quift ; theaquUine V. of Albin. ; the vuiterine eagle of Al- 

 drovand. ; and the rachaniah of Bruce's Travels. Its Iize, ac- 

 cording to Gefner, is that of a ftork. Shaw thinks it pro- 

 bable, that the rachamah of Bruce, the Angola vulture of 

 Pennant, the afh-coloured vulture of Latham, and the petit 

 vautour or vautour de Norvege of Buffon, are in reaUty the 

 fame fpecies, and conflitute the male V. percnopterus of 

 ■ Linnjeus. He alfo inchnes to beheve that the Maltcfe V. 

 of Latham, qr vautour de Make of Buffon, is merely the 

 female of this fpecies. If this be the cafe, the V. percnop- 

 terus feems to be a pretty general inhabitant of the old con- 

 tinent, being found not only in many of the temperate and 

 warmer parts of Europe, but in various parts of Afia and 

 Africa. It is plentiful in Egypt, where it is efteemed for 

 its beneficial fervices in deftroying various putrid fubflances 

 in the vicinity of towns and cities. Its general fize is that 

 of a female turkey, but in this refpeft it varies in different 

 countries. Tlie male alfo varies in the cail of its colour, 

 which is fometimes nearly white, and fometimes a dirty pale 

 rufous-white ; the quills are black, but the fecondaries are 

 externally of the fame colour with the reft of the plumage. 

 The female is faid to exceed the male in fize. Bruce in- 

 forms us, that it is a very great violation of order, or police, 

 to kill any of thefe birds near Cairo. 



Cristatu.s, the Crefted Vulture. From reddifli to 

 blackifh, the breaft more inclining to red, the legs naked. 



This is the brown vulture of Willughby and Latham. It 

 is found in thick and defert forefts. 



Barbarus, or Barbatus. The vulture brown to 

 black, underneath white inclining to brown, woolly legs, 

 lead-coloured toes, and brown nails ; or blackiih-brown V . 

 fubfulvous beneath, with the head and neck covered by lan- 

 ceolate whitifh plumes, and the bill bearded beneath. This 

 is the bearded V. of Edwards and L;itham. It is one of 

 the largeft of the European vultures, and is principally ob- 

 ferved among the Alps of Switzerland, where it is called 

 lammer-geyer, or lamb-vulture. It is defcribed and figured 

 in the works of Gefner, under the title of V. aureus. It 

 exceeds the golden eagle in fize. This fpecies feems to be 

 a native of the wilder regions both of Afia and Africa, and 

 feems to be recorded by Mr. Bruce under the name of 

 •' niffer-werk." Mr. Bruce's defcription, for which we 

 refer to the Appendix to his Travels, affords a flriking in- 

 ftance of the boldnefs and voracity of this bird. This vul- 

 ture is faid to build in the inacceffible cavities of lofty rocki, 

 and they fometimes affemble in fmall flocks about the 

 mountainous regions of the countries which they inhabit. 



Dr. Shaw mentions fome other fpecies, befides thofethat 

 are above enumerated. 



Californianus, Black Vulture. With whitifli beak ; 

 head and neck unfeathered, and of a pale colour ; the plumes 

 of the collar and breaft lanceolate. This bird is one of the 

 largeft of the genus, and approaches to the fize of the con- 

 dor. It was brought over from the coall of CaUfornia, and 

 is now in the Britifh Mufeum. 



Auriculatus, Brown Vulture. With naked neck, flcin 

 of the ears lengthened, and pale ruff. This is the oricou of 

 Levaillant, and it is a very large bird, meafuring ten feet 

 from one wing's end to the other ; its general colour is 

 brown, the throat being black, and covered with coarfe 

 hairs. Thefe birds inhabit the fouthern parts of Africa, 

 and are of a gregarious nature, afTembUng in large flocks 

 about the caverns of the rocky mountains, where they breed. 

 This bird is very voracious, and when attacked or wounded 

 defends itfelf with furprifing ftrength and refolution ; but it 

 is naturally of an indolent and fluggifh character. 



PoxTicERi.'VNUs, Black Vulture. With nearly naked 

 flefh-coloured head and neck, and a flefhy red caruncle down 

 each fide of the neck. It is the vautour royal de Pondi- 

 cherry of Sonnerat, whence its name. Its fize is that of a 

 very large goofe, with black bill and yellow legs ; and is 

 a native of India, particularly about Pondicherry. 



Indicus, Brown Vulture. With naked, rufous head 

 and neck, and black wing and tail-feathers. It is the Indian 

 V. of Latham, and le grand vautour des Indes of Sonnerat. 

 It is of the fize of the preceding, and native of India, ex- 

 tremely voracious, principally frequenting the fea-banks, and 

 preying upon dead fifh and other putrid fubftances ; and, 

 like other birds of this genus, fometimes affembling in vail 

 numbers on a field of battle. 



Castaneus, Chefnut Vulture. With whitifh downy 

 head and neck, brownilh ruff, and black vping and tail- 

 feathers. This is the percnoptere of Buffon, and differs 

 little from the fulvous vulture, fo that it might be thought 

 to be a mere variety of that fpecies. This bird is remarka- 

 ble for a brown fpot fhaped hke a heart, and edged with a 

 ftraight white line, fituated on the breaft under the ruff. 

 It is deformed in figure, and difgufting in appearance, from 

 a continual flux of rheum from its nollrils, and of faliva from 

 two other holes in tlie bill. According to BufFon, it is of 

 the fize of an eagle, and an inhabitant of the Alps and Py- 

 renees, and of the mountains of Greece. 



GiNGiNiANUS, AVhite Vulture. With black wing- 

 feathers. 



